Blast from the Past
by justcallmefaye
Summary: A certain Rick Grayson stops by his favorite Gotham City bar and realizes that the world is a smaller place than he had ever thought, but is this meeting chance or fate? StarRob.
1. Luck of the Cards

Disclaimer: Teen Titans, mine? Ha, I laugh at the falseness of that statement!

**Blast from the Past**

**Chapter 1**

Richard Grayson brought his jet black motorcycle to a screeching stop directly in front of his club of choice, the Killer Martini. It was a rather peculiar name, but Rick, as his friends called him, had a special attraction to the place. One, all the waitressess were always exceptionally pretty, and two, they served a killer martini. Rick liked a killer martini. He supposed he could have Alfred whip one up for him at Wayne Manor, which was now his—Bruce had died tragically a few years back, leaving his entire estate to his former sidekick. Rick had subsequently had to disband the Teen Titans, taking on the mantle of the chief executive officer of Wayne Enterprises.

Rick ran his gloved hands through his windblown hair, tilting his shades down a bit as he scoped out the crowds. Vaulting agilely off his sleek bike, he adjusted the collar of his leather jacket, making sure that it was sticking straight up. Rick Grayson was Gotham's James Dean and playboy extraordinaire. He smirked at a pair of girls standing outside the Killer Martini, and they fell into a fit of giggles, gleefully latching onto his offered arms, and in their movement, a "Help Wanted" sign was revealed in the window, which an employee of the place was just removing.

He led them into the club, the strobe lights flashing madly on the dance floor, the lights pleasantly dim and at the same time violently neon by the bar. Despite the relative darkness of the place, Rick hadn't removed his shades—he never took off the dark glasses, ever. No one saw his eyes. So his eyes were something of legend; if a girl saw Rick Grayson's eyes, she was certainly something more than a one-night stand. As it was, no girl had ever seen his eyes. Not since…Rick brushed the thoughts aside, leading his chosen companions onto the dance floor. One of them was a blond, but Rick had never had any special attachment to blonds, and he didn't quite understand the appeal. But the other was a redhead, and Rick rested his hands on her hips, swaying in time to her beat, pretending the auburn locks beneath his chin, tickling his neck, belonged to someone else. With the redhead pressed against his front and the blond glued to his back, Rick danced to the music, letting the blond slip off his jacket, letting the redhead unfasten the first few buttons of his dark blue striped shirt, rolling up his sleeves, losing himself in the heady intoxication of the music, of the girls.

It was hours later before Rick retired from the dance floor, one arm around each girl, leading them to one of the high circular tables, gallantly helping them into their chairs before he lounged between them, and they inched their chairs as close to him as physically possible. The blond was toying with his hair, curling the messy fluff around her fingers while the redhead leaned on his other shoulder, tracing the line of his collarbone. Rick raised one hand, calling out to a passing waitress just as the strobe light flashed.

"Hey, you," he yelled above the din. "Three martinis—extra dry."

The strobe light flashed again as she looked his way, and all she was was a flickering silhouette. "Coming right up," she yelled back.

Rick smirked to himself as the redhead's hand worked its way up his thigh and the blond's tongue licked the sweat from his neck. Perhaps a threesome tonight, he thought. He closed his eyes, letting them pleasure him, drifting from the world.

"Three extra-dry martinis," the waitress said, unloading the drinks from her tray to the table.

Rick opened his eyes, tilting his shades down the slightest bit so that he could see the girl. The strobe light flashed again, and then it was gone, blocked by a mass of dancers, and he could see her clearly. And he almost died of shock.

Gorgeous scarlet hair tumbled down her back in waves; slanting bangs swept across her jade eyes; she was tall and slender, dressed in the usual waitressing attire of the Killer Martini which consisted of a heinously short skirt, cropped, collared tanktop, fishnets, and really tall stiletto boots, all black. She had her tiny black apron slung low on her hips, where she presumably kept her tips. She leaned her weight on one long, shapely leg, balancing the tray with ridiculous ease, cocking her head to one side. But all Rick saw was the little brass nametag fastened to her tight top—KORI.

"Kori?" he blurted, forgetting the two sluts he had been entertaining. "Kori _Anders_?"

The girl raised one eyebrow, her heavily masscared lashes blinking. "We've met before?" she asked.

Rick gaped at her, watching her eyes move from blond to redhead to him again, unable to react to that.

"Look, are you gonna tip me or not? I've got a lot of work to do," Kori said shortly, twirling the tray on her silver-ringed finger like it was a basketball.

"Oh…right…" Rick stammered, pulling a crumpled twenty from his wallet and stuffing it in her extended hand. And since when had she learned how to talk so...normally? How much had changed--how much had _she_ changed? Was she still...?

Kori raised her eyebrow again, apparently a little surprised at the amount, then shrugged and tucked it into her apron, moving on.

Rick watched her go, shellshocked.

TTTTT

When it became clear after a few hours that they were not going to get into the legendary Rick Grayson's pants, the blond and the redhead excused themselves and swiftly threw themselves at other potential men. Rick sat at the table, watching Kori clearing a table not too far away, gathering up the tips and stuffing them into her apron's pocket, stacking the glasses with almost natural ease on the tray, about to whisk the lot away to the kitchens when Rick hailed her.

"Hey…Kori. 'Nuther martini."

Kori glanced up and after a moment's hesitation, came over to him and collected his empty glass, sauntering away. She disappeared through the back doors but emerged a moment later, motioning the bartender for a martini, which he soon made and she plucked, slinging it onto her tray with almost careless ease, smacking it down in front of Rick.

"There you go, Mr. Sunglasses," she said and made to walk away, but he hailed her again.

"Hey, Kori…take a load off." He motioned to the vacant seat next to him.

"Oh, thanks for the offer, but no," she said, her voice dripping sarcasm. "I'm really not in the mood to get hit on at the moment."

"I'm not…no…I…I just wanted to talk with you," Rick attempted.

"Like I've never heard that one before," Kori rolled her beautiful jade eyes. "Sit with me, talk with me, have sex with me," she mimicked, turning away in disgust. "Get your sick kicks elsewhere, Mr. Sunglasses. I ain't playing your game."

"Wait…Starfire…" Rick blurted, desperate now.

Kori froze and then turned very slowly, her eyes wide, her mouth open in shock. Very quickly she was sitting next to him, her voice low. "How the hell did you know that?"

"Star…come on," Rick nearly begged, slipping his shades down his nose, giving her a glimpse of his ocean blue eyes, just as dark and just as deep.

Kori's eyes widened even more, and her mouth fell farther open, and she barely managed to say, "Robin? Is—can you—_Robin_?"

Rick smiled, relaxed again, comfortable again now that she was off-balance. "It's good to see you again, Star. What's it been? Four years?"

"Something like that," she whispered, clearly still in shock, and she shook her head slightly. "How—why are you—I never thought I'd—"

"A regular blast from the past, eh?" Rick chuckled, lounging back in his chair. He glanced down her slim frame, eyeing her apparel.

All of a sudden Kori seemed very embarrassed; flushing, she stood up, holding the tray in front of her like it was some sort of shield. "Oh, X'Hal, you shouldn't see me like this, Robin…" she muttered. "It's… just a job…my third, actually…"

Rick nearly choked on his martini, and he set it down quickly. "You have three jobs? And I'm a billionaire? Star, why didn't you ever—?"

"It would not be right," Kori said swiftly, flustered. "I—I get on fine, Robin. Really. Gotham is just a great deal more expensive than Jump City...I shall…er…adapt soon enough. Juggling, now. I'll be okay."

"Where else do you work?" Rick asked, concerned and curious.

"Er, first shift at Starbucks…the one off Seventeenth Avenue, on Twenty-ninth Street…"

"Somehow I can see you at Starbucks," Rick said with a grin, imagining her amongst all the caffeine.

"Oh, yes, I enjoy it a great deal," Kori said, easing back into the chair, setting the tray on the table. "And then I work the second shift at Club Neon…"

"_What!_" Rick erupted, catching the attention of several people in the bar. He lowered his voice, still incredulous. "Club Neon? Star, please tell my you're kidding!"

Kori kept her gaze downcast, fascinated with her fingers. "Waitressing, Robin…just like here. Not…"

Rick slumped back in his chair, blowing a sigh of relief. "Thank God you aren't messed up in that…" He ran his fingers through his hair, worried about the girl next to him.

"But hopefully I will get my…er…'big break' soon," Kori said swiftly. "There was a man in here a few nights back…he worked for a big company…and he gave me this," she drew a small business card from her apron's pocket.

Rick turned the card over and read it, looking up at her once he'd finished. "Modeling, Star?" a grin curled his lips. "Somehow I can see you being a very good model. I've got connections…"

"No, Robin," Kori interrupted him quickly. "I want to do this on my own…but thanks."

Rick nodded, though he was loathe to just let her be. "So…you live near here?"

"Kinda. A few blocks over, on Maxwell," Kori waved her hand in the approximate direction.

"Hey, y'all! Time's up! G'night and get out!" someone yelled from behind the counter.

"Oh…I have to get going…nice to see you, Robin," Kori said, rising gracefully to her feet.

"Wait…wanna ride? I got the R-cycle…" Rick said, not wanting her to walk home through the streets of Gotham dressed as she was. Who knows what would happen to her.

Kori smiled the dazzling smile she always had. "I'd love that."

Rick waited outside for her to finish up, and when she came out, he led her over to his motorcycle, throwing his leg over it, feeling her settle behind him, her arms encircling his waist. "Ready?" he asked her over his shoulder.

"Ready!" she replied, and he kicked the stand away, roaring obnoxiously out into the streets, hearing Kori laugh in his ear, her arms tightening their hold, her scarlet hair whipping behind her. He lost himself in the sensation of her being so close to him again, and he felt a completeness that he hadn't felt since… since the Titans had disbanded four years ago. And so it seemed all too soon to him that he pulled up at her apartment complex. She hopped off, and he barely managed to lead her to her door.

"Thanks for the ride, Robin," Kori chirped in her usual bubbly manner.

"Anytime, Star," he replied, feeling a little awkward. After all this time, he'd never told her…

"Goodnight, friend Robin," she said, reverting back to her old pattern of speech for a nostalgic moment.

"Goodnight, Star," Rick whispered. "Tell me when you make your 'big break', okay?"

Kori threw her arms around his neck and squeezed with all her strength, which was quite a bit. "I will."

Rick embraced her back, reveling in her body against his, breathing in her sweet scent, stroking the softness of her hair, absorbing the warmth of her body like he'd never get the chance again. "See you around, Star," he said into her hair.

"'Course you will," she smiled, and then he ducked in unexpectedly, kissing her gently on the cheek. When he pulled away, she looked surprised, and then she blushed, disappearing into the building, and all he could do was climb back on his R-cycle and drive away.


	2. Written in the Stars

Disclaimer: Teen Titans, regrettably, are still not mine. of course, neither is _Seventeen_. yes. nothing is mine. i'm sure you get that by now.

A/N: this is the second and last chapter. i never meant for it to be long. i don't have the time to devote to long fanfiction when i'm juggling five honors classes AND trying to write original stuff AND applying to colleges. ugh, life is far too complicated for my liking. so i hope you guys don't mind that it ended up being the short and sweet type. just enjoy, i s'pose.

A/N the second: i have a vague idea for a longer RobStar fanfic called "How Long is Never?" (yes, obvious play on "How Long is Forever?", which NO, isn't mine!) so that'll be up sometime. in a month or year or two. tee hee. probably not that long. i hope. sigh

A/N the third: i had no intention on updating this quickly, but since **I** ran out of patience, i figured you guys wouldn't mind. okay. storytime!

A/N the fourth: wait a moment more. for those of you who find the use of "Rick" as opposed to "Dick" objectionable, er, i'm sorry, but in a matter of personal taste, i'm not going to change it. i hope it won't detract too much from the real point of the story. reviews of any sort (except for flames, which are utterly immature) are always welcome. NOW it's storytime!

**Blast from the Past**

**Chapter 2**

Rick Grayson left Gotham the following morning quite early, bound for New York City on business. He was gone a month, and when he returned to Gotham, he noticed that things were a little…different.

For one, as soon as he got off his private jet and into the limo with Alfred and looked out the window as they drove down the expressway, there was a large billboard to one side, advertising for something or another. Normally this would not have interested Rick in the slightest, but he nearly fainted when he saw it, for the model's face, plastered larger than life on the billboard, was none other than Kori Anders, Princess Starfire of Tamaran.

Rick gawked like a fool, even going so far as to swivel in his seat once they had passed it, though he knew the backs of billboards were never the same as the front. Still, he thought that maybe…maybe he could see her face again. But all he found was an ad for toothpaste.

For two, once they were in the thick of Gotham, driving through the downtown, they passed a magazine stand. It was handily located at an intersection, and the red light caused Alfred to stop. So Rick glanced out his window, and his jaw dropped yet again. On the cover of some fashion magazine, decked out in whatever fashion was fashionable at the time, was Starfire again, giving that seductive model look with her hair being blown by some model fan.

"Hold a sec, Alfred," Rick gasped, and he jumped out of the limo, rushing to the stand, and snatching up the magazine, unable to tear his shaded eyes from it.

"Mr. Grayson!" the surprised stand owner squawked. "W-what can I do for you, sir?"

Rick looked up, pulled from his astonisment, admiration of Kori Anders gracing the front of a very popular magazine. "How much is this?" he managed, gesturing vaguely to the magazine.

"Which one? Ah, that one," the owner said knowingly. "That girl, she's taken Gotham by storm in the past month. She's everywhere, I swear. Kori Anders here, Kori Anders there…everybody knows her face. Most new models don't get that lucky, I think, but wow…that's what you get for being gorgeous, I guess."

Rick nodded distractedly, noticing that this magazine boasted an exclusive interview with the hot new model. He stared for a second, prepared to offer the man his entire estate just to find out what Starfire had talked about in her interview. "How much?" he repeated, his patience drawing thin.

"Er…two ninety-nine…"

Rick hurriedly shoved a five into the man's hand. "Keep the change!" he called over his shoulder as he scrambled back into the limo just as the light turned green, and Alfred sped through the city, zooming towards Wayne Manor on the other side of town.

Rick scanned the cover again. _Totally exclusive interview with new model, Kori Anders, inside! Pg. 27_. "Page twenty-seven, page twenty-seven…" he muttered, flipping through the pages, irritatedly passing ad after ad without page numbers. "Ah, twenty-seven…wow…" he paused, presented with a full page of Starfire, and his eyebrows raised approvingly. Tearing his eyes from her jade ones, he began to read the interview with the most fervor he'd ever read anything, ever. Most of it was usual interview stuff, but he stopped dead halfway down the second column.

_Seventeen Magazine: So, tell me, Kori, have you ever been in love?_

_Kori: Love? By what definition?_

_Seventeen: The real kind._

_Kori: Ahh. Yes._

_Seventeen: And?_

_Kori: And nothing. It just…didn't work out, I suppose._

_Seventeen: What do you mean? Do you mind talking about it?_

_Kori: No…not really. Maybe it wasn't meant to be. I don't pretend to know. Nothing ever happened. If he did love me, he never told me. But that was a long time ago…a few years. Maybe more._

_Seventeen: So you don't still love him?_

_Kori: I wouldn't say that._

_Seventeen: What if he were reading this now, then? Would you like to say anything?_

_Kori: I find it hard to believe that he'd be reading _Seventeen_. Not quite his type of magazine. Still…if he were…I honestly don't know. You know where to find me, Mr. Sunglasses._

Rick stared at the page, hardly able to believe what he was reading. Mr. Sunglasses? He looked up and out the window again, and again he was confronted with her face on a billboard, and he mouthed it silently to the night.

"Me, Star? You're in love with…me?"

"Oh, Mr. Grayson, I believe the _Gotham Portrait_ called while you were away," Alfred said, dragging Rick from his thoughts. "They seem to think you would be the perfect model for a certain superhero named Robin."

"What?" Rick laughed. "They what? That's hilarious!"

"It is indeed," Alfred replied in his calm voice. "They're doing a photoshoot, a tribute to all the heroes. It's tomorrow. I trust that isn't a problem? I couldn't get a hold of you at your conference."

"What? Oh, no…that's…that's fine, Alfred, just fine," Rick said distractedly, wondering what the next day would bring.

TTTTT

"Here's your Robin costume, Mr. Grayson," said a cheery looking lady with too much red lipstick. "Thank you so much for agreeing to this."

"It's a pleasure," Rick said, smirking and taking the familiar outfit to the dressing rooms, laughing inwardly at the irony of it all. He changed quickly into his old suit, sticking the black mask to his face last, surveying himself in the full-length mirror. Except for the fact that he was taller, he knew that he hadn't changed a bit—that Robin hadn't changed a bit.

He emerged from the dressing room and found his way to the photoshoot area, where he was greeted by the exclamation, "Robin, my man! You're back in action! Boo-yah!"

Rick soon found himself crushed in the metallic arms of Cyborg, or Victor Stone, to be more accurate. "How's it going, Cyborg? Hey, Bee."

"Don't squeeze Robin to death, Sparky," Bumble Bee cautioned, jutting out one hip comfortably.

"Duuuuude! Robin's here!" Beast Boy, aka Garfield Logan, exclaimed, and he nearly jumped Rick.

"Long time, no see, Robin," came Raven's monotone voice as she pried Beast Boy off him.

"Good to see you too, Rae," Rick laughed, shaking Speedy and Aqualad's proffered hands warmly.

"Isn't this just the coolest?" Beast Boy gushed, running around like his old hyperactive teenage self. "I can't believe it! A picture of a Teen Titan reunion! How perfect is it?"

"Very perfect…" Rick said, a little distracted. Where was she? He pushed his way out of the group, glancing around. She had to be here…certainly she would've been asked to be Starfire…after all, she _was_ Starfire… "Come on, Star…" he muttered under his breath. "Where are you?"

And then there she was, walking down the hallway in her old violet Starfire outfit with that slow, swaggering model gait, and her face broke into its signature dazzling smile when she saw him. She rushed over, crushing him violently in a fierce hug, nearly lifting him off the floor. "Friend Robin!" she squealed, and he realized all over again that he was now taller than her. "It is most glorious to see you!"

"It's…amazing to see you," he admitted, smiling at her when they separated, the photographers anxious to begin the shooting. They were lined up in their traditional poses, and then the photographer wanted shots of pairs of them, and it was clear that they were set up in the pairs that the fans had always wanted to see. Cyborg and Bee; Raven and Beastboy; Starfire and Speedy (Rick supressed a growl); Starfire and Aqualad (another supressed growl); and, finally…

"Miss Anders and Mr. Grayson! Your turn!" the director called, waving him over as Aqualad walked off-camera.

Rick walked over to her, stepping in front of the cameras, beneath the blazing lights. Somehow, to him, she looked even more beautiful now than she ever had before; somehow, she just looked _right_ as Starfire. Because she was Starfire. To him, she could only be Starfire. And he supposed that to her, he could only ever be Robin, the Boy Wonder she had fallen in love with.

Robin smiled to himself and to her, and he glanced at the director, who hurried over to put them in their positions. "Now, since you two were especially popular, we're going to be doing a couple shots, a couple poses. First, like this."

_Snap!_ Robin had his arms draped loosely about her waist, her back pressing into his chest, her hair tickling his neck, and their smiles were anything but fake.

_Snap!_ Starfire had her hands on his chest, and he had his arms around her, both of them looking coyly at the camera.

"Okay, last one…now…"

_Snap!_ Robin was holding her in his arms again, kissing her cheek, and she had her arms around his neck, holding her against him.

"Good, good, that was fabulous!"

Robin didn't feel her move right away, could sense her reluctance. "Hey, Star…" he whispered in her ear, which was quite near his mouth anyway. _Do it now,_ he encouraged himself. _You can't let her go again...just say it already..._

"Yes, Robin?" she replied, her voice soft, barely audible.

Robin took a deep breath and pulled away a little…and tugged off the mask, revealing those oceanic eyes that had only ever met her jade ones. He smiled faintly at her cute but sincere expression of surprise, and he traced his hand down her face, following the curve of her cheek. Despite inhaling a lungful of air, he somehow managed to say breathlessly, "I love you."

Starfire blinked, clearly not prepared for that either, but then a smile tugged at her lips, the slightest glint of tears in her eyes. "I've always loved you," she admitted quietly, and Robin's smile broadened. And he ducked his head, his warm lips softly brushing hers, and she returned the kiss slowly yet confidently, pressing closer, deeper, her fingers meshing in his hair…

_Snap!_

And a few weeks later, there was that picture on the front page of the magazines, and the caption beneath it read:

_Richard Grayson, CEO of Wayne Enterprises, and Kori Anders, supermodel, announced their engagement yesterday…_

Robin and Starfire sat on the roof of the long-vacated Titan's Tower, where he had proposed to her, just lying back and watching the stars.

Fin


End file.
